Over 1,500 oxygen plants are being readied across India to be connected to four lakh hospital beds in case of a third wave of Covid-19, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructing officials to work on advanced technology to weave them into a web for smooth monitoring and functioning.

Around 8,000 people are being formally trained to operate and train the plants, the PM was told at a review meeting held on Friday.

The Pressure Swing Absorption plants are being installed at district levels. While the DRDO is installing the plants with partner agencies, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), CPWD and National Buildings Construction Corporation are doing the civil work for them.

The PM directed that each district should have trained persons to run the plants.

Officials said the NHAI aims to finish their portion of the work by July end.

At the meeting, the PM said, “We should deploy advanced technology like IoT (Internet of Things) to track performance and functioning of these oxygen plants at local and national level."

Officials apprised the PM of a pilot that is on using IoT for monitoring the performance of the plants.

During the second wave, shortage of oxygen had developed into a major crisis, with several deaths reported as hospitals ran out of adequate supplies.

(With inputs from agencies)